A Mad Gathering
by sarenelsoria
Summary: Terra Hightopp had been five years old at the time her family was taken prisoner by the Red Queen. Tarrant spent most of his adult life stuck at tea, the rest in trying to live for his family. The clans plan a meet once news comes that the Whitzend Highto
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Terra Hightopp could barely remember the time before, before they were put into the sands and their world changed into one of sand, hunger and thirst. She remembered sleeping on a bed, instead of sand and having all the food her stomach craved. She remembered feeling the warmth and love of her family and knowing that she was safe. Most of all she remembered her big brother Tarrant lost to them for most of her life. Her Parents and older brothers and sister had all promised her that he would come, that he would save them in the beginning. She had awoken each day, waiting for the time that her big brother would come and save them all.

Her expantent waiting had changed to hoping, which had changed to despair, for the Red Queen had shown up one day and had told them that Tarrant believed them all to be dead. Tristan had yelled and shaken his fist at the giant Queen, Torran had glared at her, while Tatianna had taken Terra's hand protectively. Her Father Zanik's proud shoulders had slumped and her mother Thora had clutched onto him, hugging him tightly to her. Terra had been afraid, as she didn't know the Red Queen's reasoning for telling them.

Perhaps she thought that her family might loose hope, might fade away and die, but Hightopps were strong and they faced fear head on. They had been facing it for years and years and nothing their captor might do would break them. For as long as they had one another, they would endure. Terra didn't know how poor Tarrant stood thinking them dead all these years. To her he was just a vague memory and she had begun to think that he had perished in the Horvish day fire. This however explained why he had not looked for them, he had not known to look, and he would never know to look. Slowly her Father's and Mother's hair took on white streaks and she stared at them in fear.

She had known that as the youngest she would most likely last the longest, outside their sand prison was just something her parents and older siblings talked of. She would have to watch as one by one, they gave up and surrendered to death. Then finally she would be all alone, among the bones of all the people she loved. That was at least what her most horrible fancies and most terrible thoughts had told her. When they had not had a scrap of fabric in so much time, that her fingers forgot what it was like to sew. For a craftsman who could not craft would surely go mad from the lack. The Queen would not allow them the peace of madness and would occasionally send down scraps of fabric from Outside. They would gather around it and touch it first, feeling it with their fingers and then her father would give portions to each of them. They could survive and stay sane without food, without water, but without their trade they would turn entirely insane.

She caressed her dress; perhaps if she made the skirts a bit shorter, there might be enough for her to make something else. Her mother might insist that she lengthen them again, as mother liked her girls to be modest. Torran and Tristan could get away with shortening their clothes, but mother insisted that Terra and Tatianna's dresses remain at a respectable length.

She yawned and settled down in the sand, she was sleepy and sometimes there was nothing better to do than sleep. "Are you feeling the Mumblesnuff's." Torran asked and she nodded. "It's alright T, sooner or later someone will come."

"No one will ever come, no one has ever come and no one will ever come, then eventually I will turn old and ugly and be all alone because I'm the youngest and the youngest almost always dies last. It's not fair, I don't even hardly remember before, but it seems so much better than now."

"I know its not fair love, here I have a scrap somewhere, take it." Her brother said. "You were always good at embroidery." He said and Terra felt him press a handkerchief sized square into her hands.

"Its yours though Torry." She protested.

"You need it more than me now and I'll help you hem it after you've finished." He promised and she hesitated. "Please Terra, right now I'll enjoy watching you work more than doing it myself." He said and Terra stroked the soft cloth, feeling its wonderful texture. Her family often did this, giving scraps to each other, whenever one or the other of them began to loose hope. Mostly it was the others that needed it more than her, as to her the Before was almost just a concept, a wonderful tale that her family told to her.

"Alright Torry." She said and he smiled at her as she settled into the sand and started to sew. She decided to sew a bird, she liked birds, sometimes they would come through the window and she would get a glimpse of the world outside whatever room they were being held in. Most of her life they had been put into a dungeon, but a few years ago, the Red Queen had moved them to this castle. The cold could be felt even through their terrarium and so at night they dug tunnels down into the warmer sand and huddled together to keep warm. They had to be awake before dawn, or else the Red Queen would shake the sand trapping them, until they could be dug out. Terra hated sand, she was thoroughly sick of it and if ever freed, she'd stay clear of all the sandy places in the Outside.

The rest of her family gathered around her as she started the first stitches. "What are you going to make T?" Tristan asked.

"I thought I would make a bird, maybe one day one will knock over the terrarium and free us." Terra said and got a few smiles, Tatianna even let out a dry laugh that turned into a cough.

"I'm fine." She said at the concerned looks they all gave her. "Some of the sand got in my throat."

"If I had any spit to give, I'd give it to you, Tatie." Terra said and Tatianna smiled.

"I'm fine sweetheart." Tatianna said.

"I can't remember what it was like, to have a wet mouth." Terra admitted. "Tell me of water again please." She asked and they told her, they reminded her of a walking day they had all taken when Terra had been four and how they had gone to the sea together.

"You loved the surf and we would take turns holding you, making sure that the current didn't catch you. Tricky things currants are, though good in scones." Tristan said, his eyes turning purple briefly, purple eyes were never a good sign of anything.

"Not those types of currants, you mean the ones that run with water." Torran said and Tristan shook himself.

"Anyway its floaty and cool against your skin, it helps lift you up and if you move your arms and legs just right, you can get through it all the..." Suddenly the door burst outward and standing in it was a giant man in a hat, he looked around wildly.

"They aren't here, I've searched everywhere and they aren't here, they are gone Alice. My family is gone!"

"Quick to the tunnels." Zanik said and they had all raced to make a hat out of sand, Terra thought for a moment that Tarrant had missed it, before he came over and they stood on top of the sand. He stared at them a moment, before clutching the terrarium to himself.

"You are all here, tiny, but all here, I found you at last." He said and Terra wasn't quite sure what to make of this brother who was all but a stranger to her. Despite that they were still clan and kin and kin was more important than anything. Without her kin, she would have gone mad many times over.

The Red Queen burst in, the White following after her and the White Queen actually apologized to that horrible slurvish woman. Of course the Red Queen said that all she truly wanted was an apology, but people that trapped others for years, that tortured them, wanted far more than apologies. They wanted a taste of good Hightopp steel.

"Forgive me the interruption, but might I trouble you for some Upelkuchens?" Tarrant asked and the White Queen gave it to him at once, Tarrant gently laid the terrarium on its side and uncapped the cork, Father strode out first, followed by her brothers and mother, leaving Terra in the bottle. She hesitated, before stepping outside and taking a deep lungful of air. The air was cleaner than in the bottle and so much sweeter. "Don't be greedy."

"Upelkuchens helps you to grow, Tarrant is right, we shouldn't take too much." Father said as Tarrant sprinkled tiny crumbs of cake down, Terra couldn't resist stuffing two into her mouth and nearly gagged at the taste, before she was somehow stretching out, her limbs growing, until she stood as high as the Red Queen. Tarrant ran to Father and mother.

"Father, Mother!" He said and then turned to Father. "I'm so very sorry about our last fight, I became a Hatter Father."

"I always knew you would be." Father said in reply and both men hugged tightly. Tarrant then turned to Mother and hugged her too and was about to hug his siblings as well, when he saw the blond hair girl he had come in with start to leave and followed her.

"Where's he gone?" Terra asked.

"To let Alice make her choice." The White Queen said.

"Alice is the girl then, what choice does she have to make."

"She's from above and she has the right to choose to go back there."

"Must be nice to have a choice." Terra said.

"Terra, I am sorry your majesty." Father said and the Queen frowned.

"I am glad things are mended between us, but you still imprisoned these people Iracibeth."

"Not to mention giving neither food, nor water." Terra interjected.

"It is fine, were are glad to be free, no one deserves imprisonment such as we have suffered, not even her." Father said.

"Speak for yourself Father, if you wish to oust me from the clan, that's fine but I will have my revenge, this slurvish scoundrel stole my childhood from me and replaced it with sand. I don't remember the last time I have had carpet beneath my feet or been able to breath fresh air. I do not know anyone other than her and my family and almost all I can remember is sand, hunger and thirst that never ends. I know I must be horrible, but I want her to suffer for what she has done to me and my family." Terra glared at the Red Queen, who stared back at her. "I doubt that there's a honest thing about her and I'd advise you not to trust it, or her."

"What would you do for your siblings young Hightopp."

"My name is Terra, I'd do anything for them, but they would never do as she has done. I don't want her dead, but she should not be allowed free rein around the Outside, I would never be able to sleep, knowing there is a chance that she could come back, that she could trap us all in that thing again." Terra pointed at the terrarium.

"Even if your sibling is mean, or cruel, that does not mean that you do not stop loving them." The White Queen said. "Even when they are Mad, the bonds of blood hold true."

"That might be the case, but something must be done." Terra said.

"She does not know of the world beyond the Terrarium your Grace." Father said. "Forgive my child."

"I'm a woman grown father and not a child!" Terra said.

"But in your knowledge of the world, you have much to learn as of yet." Father said.

"I know that she cannot walk free around Underland, for there is a chance that she might again crave power more than she cares for human life, but I cannot kill her."

"I don't believe anyone is asking you too, all I ask is that she doesn't go around free to make more people miserable. To tear apart more families and harm more innocents. I would never wish for another child to know the fear and daily uncertainty I have, the hunger and thirst that I have felt all these years. I would do anything to prevent that from happening again."

"You are like many in your clan, brave and loyal to a fault, already you care for children you don't even know, who are little more than a concept to you." The White Queen said and smiled. "How about this, I shall build a house for my sister, a house filled with what she wishes, but she may never leave."

"That is fair to me."

"Do you agree to this Iracibeth?"

"Yes, it is no more than I deserve, my heart was blackened by hatred, but that is no excuse." The Red Queen said and all the Hightopps nodded, as Tarrant came back.

"I imagined you as taller." Terra said.

"Little T?" He asked and Terra smiled, before she ran into his arms, they were just as warm and welcoming as any in her family, soon everyone joined the hug, putting Tarrant at the center of it.

"I want you to tell me stories and I want you all to show me the Outside."

"The Outside?" Father questioned.

"Yes, that's what I call it in my head, the world you describe of in your tales, I want to see more of it." Terra said and felt a hand ruffle her head.

"And you will, I promise sister." Tarrant said and she grinned up at him. "First I think you should have some water and I'll send for a carriage to bring you to the house, you can recuperate there."

"The house survived?"

"Yes, I tried to keep it in good repair, but sometimes the Ulrichan would strike and I would wake up to it in with the house in disrepair."

"You suffered the Ulrichan."

"Yes Father, sometimes I go round the bend."

"I think everyone does sometimes and it runs in our family." Father said. "Its a wonder that the episodes were few in number and we had each other to stave it off, but you...you had no one." He said and Tarrant's eyes filled with tears, as the rest of the family's eyes turned blue with sadness.

"You shouldn't stay on your feet for so long, it's not good for the soles." Tarrant said and they walked over to the couch and sat down, someone came with water and they were instructed to drink it slowly.

"After you've had water and broth for a few days you might be well enough to eat something solid." The Queen said.

"Could we have tea?" Terra asked. "I'd like to try it."

"As much as you want." Tarrant said. "I have many different varieties of tea, from all over Underland." He said as a rabbit came bounding in.

"Thacky!" Terra said and the rabbit grinned at her.

"Little miss is all grown up!" He said and gave them each a cup before filling all of them up haphazardly. Terra laughed as he bounded to each of them in turn and filled their cups to the brim. She hesitated a moment, before taking a small swallow of the liquid. She gasped in astonishment at the taste and tried not to gulp it down quickly.

"Its good isn't it?" Tatianna asked and she nodded.

"Wonderful Tatie." Terra said and felt stronger than she had in a very long time, she continued to slowly sip at the water, until the glass was empty. "Can I have some more."

"Wait until that settles first." Her Father advised and she nodded.

"Yes Father." She said and waited, her stomach let out quite a few loud noises and gurgled, she felt the water rise back up for a moment, before she forced it back in her belly and it stayed there. She looked at her family as Torran leapt up and raced for a potted plant, heaving what little water he had drunk out of his system. Tarrant was there with him, pulling his hair back and rubbing his back.

"It will get easier Torry." Tarrant assured him, as he stroked his back gently. Finally Torran stopped being sick and smiled weakly at all of them.

"Think I drank it a bit fast." He said and frowned, before standing slowly and going back to the ancient furniture. "Might wait a moment before trying that again."

"Take as much time as you need, when we get back to Mamorial I have several remedies that I would like to try, if that is alright with you."

"We would welcome any assistance." Father said and Mother nodded, suddenly as the energy had come, it was gone. She yawned widely and leaned her head against Tatianna's.

"Its alright Terry, we can rest while we wait for the carriage, we're safe." Tatianna said gently and Terra nodded, closing her eyes and drifting into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next several weeks passed in a haze for Terra, she was put into a bed across from her sister and Tarrant's friends helped take care of them, as they healed. Slowly she grew so that she could stomach broth, before being able to eat small amounts of bread and porridge. She loved food, not really remembering how it had tasted and how it had made her feel. She felt much stronger than she ever had before, despite the lethargy that took hold of her.

Finally she woke one morning to find that the overwhelming exhaustion was gone, She quietly got up from the soft bed she laid upon and went down the stairs. She found Tarrant his head on the kitchen table, as he snored and smiled softly at her older brother. She also found some cold water, bread and a blanket, hopefully someone would teach her how to cook soon, but until then she would make do with things that were already prepared. She divided the bread into hunks and filled a pitcher with water, before taking it upstairs with her. She quietly moved through the still house, filling each glass with water and a small amount of bread, before taking the comforter off of Tarrant's bed and going back downstairs to drape it around his shoulders. "I don't want to butter my toes, I want to butter the biscuits." He said as she wrapped the blanket around him. She saw the circles under his eyes were dark in color, though the colors closer to his eyes were a light grey, signifying deep sleep.

She smiled softly and kissed the top of his forehead, as there came a soft knock on the door. She walked over to the door and answered it, closing it softly behind her. "Ohh its good ta see ya up lass." Thackery said and she smiled at him.

"Good morning Thackery, can you be quiet, everyone else is asleep." She said and Thackery frowned.

"I never was t'all that good at tipsy toesing aut, betterwise you bring the soup into the house."

"Thank you Thackery and for all your help, Tarrant is really tired and I'm feeling much better, so I should be able to help take care of them today."

"Tis a pleasure little miss, when I last be laying eyes on you, you were being no bigger than I." He said and she laughed.

"I was a bit of a little thing, I think my family still sees me that way."

"Aye tis often what 'appen's with younger siblings. I was in ta middlings of me Ma and Pa's brood, so I knows both sides of aut."

"Its so pretty out here, but I better go inside and get this to my family."

"Your Pa still be needin' help with the spoon, ya Ma can drink aut if you give aut ta 'er in a cup." He said and she smiled.

"Thank you again Thackery." She said and kissed him gently on the cheek, before going inside. She set out several bowls and slowly poured the soup into them, before taking out a mug and pouring soup into it as well, she then slowly made her way upstairs with the first two bowls. Everyone but Tristan were still asleep and he smiled when she came in with the soup. "Tarrant is tired and I'm feeling better now, should I wake the others, or do something else with this?"

"Wake them, I don't have the energy to get up yet, but I feel like I'm getting better."

"I hope you will be up soon, do you need any help?" She asked and he shook his head.

"T?" Torran asked tiredly and she smiled softly.

"Yes Tory, I brought soup, our brother looks like he needs eighty winks or so." She said and both her brothers laughed.

"Go on with you then, we'll manage fine on our own." He said and she nodded, going back down the stairs and grabbing the mug and bowl from the counter. She then walked back upstairs and took both to her Mother and Sister. Her Father woke up and weakly raised his head.

"I'll be back with yours in a minute Father." She said and he smiled.

"Thank you, but where's Tarrant?"

"I'm helping him, he's sleeping in the kitchen." Terra said.

"Too much like your father, that one." Her mother said. "If he's not watched, he'll work himself into exhaustion." She said and Terra smiled softly.

"I'll be back in a minute Father."

"Try and make Tarrant more comfortable, I doubt that he'd wake if you banged drums in his ears, but sleeping in a chair can be uncomfortable." He said and her mother laughed.

"You would know dear." She said and Terra smiled, leaving and coming back up with the soup, before sitting in a chair beside her father and inexpertly feeding him it.

"You are adapting very well, I know how hard all of this must be for you." Her Mother said and Terra smiled.

"Actually it's wonderful, better than the stories and I can finally truly appreciate it." Terra said and her Mother smiled.

"I'm glad that you are enjoying the wider world my dear, hopefully soon I'll be well enough to join you." She said and Terra beamed at her.

"I look forward to it Mother." She said, continuing to help her Father with the broth, until the bowl was empty. She then went down and had her portion, before stacking the bowls, not knowing what else to do with them. She then turned to the snoring mass of blankets that was her brother and pulled at the chair he slept in, to her surprise and delight it had wheels and it was quite simple to wheel him towards the couch. She frowned then, not really knowing what to do, before she gently shook his shoulder, he didn't stir, but then she shook harder and he mumbled something, as his colors changed slightly.

"Terry you don't have to really wake up, just enough to get on the couch, you did really good at taking care of everyone, now its my turn." She said and kissed his forehead. "Just get on the couch and then you can go right back to sleep." She said and he grumbled, before slowly standing and hurling himself face down upon the couch, he was snoring again within moments. She smiled softly and turned him gently, wanting to see his face, wanting to memorize how he looked. Her brother was a stranger to her, a man that long ago would put her on his shoulders and race through Witzend both of them shrieking in laughter.

She smiled at the memory, before she went to the other room and got out her soup, eating it slowly, savoring the flavor of it. She then poured a glass of water and put the dirty dish with the others. Her Father was fond of saying that a task should not be undertaken, if it could not be done properly and she had no idea of how to wash a dish. Instead she went into the crafting room, running her fingers along the fabric, enjoying the feel of them on her fingers. Her family had taught her how to draw and she'd spent hours drawing and writing poetry in the sand, as there was little else to do. She saw many half finished projects and designs strewn about the room. She smiled softly, hoping that Tarrant wouldn't mind if she took the scraps and made something from them and there were a lot of scraps lying around the room. She gathered them all together, the colors were many and varied, but there seemed to be most of the different shades of blue and the yellow, she liked the way the colors looked together and how they felt against her skin, her head already full of ideas, she sat down and sketched out a patchwork dress, coming up and discarding many different ideas, until she found one she liked. After she finished making it, she would embroider and embellish it with butterflies, birds, rocking horse flies and various other flying creatures. It would be her sky dress, her first dress she had made all by herself.

She smiled at the thought of making something by herself, something that was her own from start to finish and took out the sewing basket, before going back to Tarrant and sitting in the couch across from him. A few hours in, she came up with a pitcher of water and refilled all the glasses, in case they woke up thirsty, then she went back downstairs and continued to work on her dress.

Around mid morning there was another knock at the door and she smiled, going over and opening it. She stared in surprise at a young man wearing different colors than she was used to. "I've come from Altinz in the Outlands, is your Father able to speak with me?" He asked and she frowned.

"Who are you, are you from another of the clans, your colors aren't Hightopp colors." She said. "How can I trust that you come under this roof without ill intentions and wish only to share food and drink and good cheer?"

"You must be the youngest daughter, I'm Horatio Broadbeam, the others thought I would be the best one to send, as I'm young and half Hightopp, I'm a cousin to you on my Mother's side. As for guest rite, I shall leave my claymore at the door." He said and unstrapped the sword, her eyes narrowed.

"How do I know you aren't carrying knives."

"You wouldn't trust the word of a kinsman?"

"A kinsman aye I would trust, but I've never laid eyes upon you. You could be pretending to be some relation for ill intent."

"I don't blame you for being suspicious with what you've been through, but honestly I'm here to deliver a message from the other clans." He said and she frowned.

"I'll wake Tarrant, you stay there, and I have some fabric cutting knives that will do in a pinch." She said and he laughed.

"Oh you are a bold one cousin, you'd fight a claymore forged of Bluesmith steel against a pair of fabric cutters."

"I'm quick." She said in return and he laughed.

"I think that I'm going to like you little cousin." He said as she made her way over to Tarrant and shook him until he woke.

"What's it?" He asked and his eyes focused on Terra. "You shouldn't be up T."

"I feel great Tarrant, but there's someone at the door, he claims to be our cousin, I thought it best to wake you, before allowing guest rite." She said and he nodded.

"Right, I'll be right there." He called and yawned looking utterly done in. "Horatio!" He said and hugged the man tightly. "Its great to see you, how have you been?"

"I'm fine, delighted to know my cousins will be alright after all. Your little sister is delightful." He said and Terra frowned. "As well as quite protective, once she's properly trained up, I think she'll give most swordsmen a run for their handkerchiefs, she actually threatened me with fabric cutters, the girl has bravery in spades. If you would like to foster her..."

"Terra has a lot to learn before she would be ready for a fostering, at any rate Father would be the one to talk to about it and Father is currently the head of this branch of the clan. He's recovering still, but I think he would be able to talk to you. In any event T is a bit too old to be fostered at this point." He added and Horatio nodded.

"Yes, I suppose your right, she's just a lovely young lassie and I'd like to get to know her better." Horatio said and smiled at Terra. "I've come to speak about a Clan gathering, your clan wouldn't have to do anything of course and we would hold it here, so you didn't have to travel."

"I'm not sure if some of my family would be well enough for that, for a while yet. Father has the final say in such matters of course."

"I want to meet the other clans." Terra interjected and Tarrant smiled at her.

"You will meet them eventually, it is simply the question if now might be the right time to do so." Tarrant said and she nodded. "I see you've been busy, you should get some rest as well."

"But Tarrant I feel fine, I don't want to go back to bed, it feels like I have lived only there and in the sand." She said and he frowned.

"How about a compromise, I'll take care of our guest, while you have a bit of a kip under that oak tree." He said and Terra frowned.

"Not you too, I'm not a child Tarrant, I might not know some things, but I'm not a child." She protested. "I don't wish to be treated like one, I should think I know my limits and I don't feel tired at all."

"If you start to feel tired, go under the oak tree, please, for me T?"

"Alright, if you will do the same." She said and he nodded, he went upstairs and came back down a moment later, gesturing for Horatio to follow him. She went back to sewing and after a moment of thought decided that she would rather sew outside then in. She settled her back against the oak tree, as she continued to stitch her dress, Tarrant joined her a few minutes later yawning.

"Horatio will watch over them, I trust him, I've known him since we were both boys." Tarrant assured her and she nodded, she continued to sew and smiled fondly as Tarrant started snoring beside her, his hat over his face. It was wonderful to be out in the sun, to feel the breeze upon her body. She smiled softly as she continued to sew. A moment later Horatio came out and joined them.

"Tarrant said a friend would be stopping by with soup at midday, but I was wondering if you might like to try something other than soup or oatmeal?" He asked and she nodded, he grinned at her.

"Come and I'll teach you how to make borinberries Bannocks, we can have them with tea for lunch and so can whoever who wants them." He said and she was instructed in how to prepare the food, when it came time to add the borinberries he lead her out to the backyard and showed her several wild bushes of borinberries. "Looks like there's some squidberries too." He said. "Keep those separate and we'll make two different kinds, if you would like to try just the berries, that's fine but save some room for the scones." He said and showed her which ones were ripe and which ones to leave to ripen. She picked until her fingers were sticky and red, before taking one and biting down on it. Her eyes widened in shock as a wonderful taste filled her mouth, she hastily ate another and another and Horatio laughed. "Well I suppose your fond of sweet things then."

"There's more, more things like these berries?" She asked and he laughed again.

"A lot more, I think we've picked enough for now. He said and they walked back into the kitchen together. "Now the trick to baking is making sure you take the right measurements, its much like sewing that way, before you can start a project, you must first measure the cloth, only baking uses ingredients instead of cloth." He said and explained what he was doing, as he did it, she copied his motion, memorizing the names of the ingredients he explained to her. He also wrote down the recipe on a piece of paper for her to keep, as they made them together. "This is my father's sister's recipe and a bit of a Broadbeam secret, so don't go sharing it with just anyone, but I have a feeling that many more people will be giving you recipes, so that you might make a good start of it, when you do decide to marry."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to be wed, I wouldn't make much of a wife now." She said. "I want to explore the world, before settling down and having bairns."

"I don't blame you for that, but who's to say he won't want to see some more of the world too." Horatio said and smiled at her. "Its something to think on at least and many a man would wish to court such a pretty young maid." He said and Terra felt her cheeks reddening. Together they made the dough and he took out a skillet. "I like to cook it over the stove rather than the oven, but some like it better in the oven, we're making sweet bannock, if you want to make plain bannock don't add the sugar.

"Thank you." She said and watched as he flipped the first one.

"It takes a bit to learn to do it right, but why don't you try on the next go?" He offered and she grinned, copying his motion and the loaf nearly escaped the pan. "That was good, but more gentle." He said and guided her hand when it was time to flip again. "I loved making bannock with my Mather when I was a boy." He said and she smiled, enjoying the smell that was now wafting up from the bannock. She took a deep inhale of it and he smiled at her. "Smells good doesn't it cousin, you want to wait until it's a bit burnt at the edges, that's when its done."

"Burnt?"

"Blackened." He replied. "But you don't want it to be completely blackened either, it doesn't taste that good, but the center won't be cooked until the edges are blackened like this." He showed her how the edges blackened and flipped it onto a plate. Then she made the next one and the other two as he watched her.

"That was fun, nearly as fun as sewing." She said and he laughed.

"Wait until you taste it, ah here's the cookbook." He said and showed it to her.

"Those are recipes right?"

"Right, lets see what's in the root cellar and ice box, then maybe we can cook another of these and I can show you how to get the oven flame just right."

"Thank you cousin." She said and he smiled at her.

"I enjoy cooking and teaching others to cook, I taught my little nephew to make bannocks too, but he's a fair few years younger than you are." He said and smiled softly. "You didn't think to paint the kitchen in flour, like he wanted to." He said and they both laughed.

He pointed out each of the fruits and vegetables to her, as well as the milk, cream and various other things inside Tarrant's fridge. "Lets make lemon cakes, Auntie Terra used to make the best lemon cakes, she's your namesake did you know that?"

"Mother told me about Auntie Terra and her lemon cakes, but lemons don't look very good." She said and he laughed.

"You use the juice more than the actual fruit." He said and watched as she followed the recipe. "You have a knack for this." He said and she grinned. "Though don't use the oven on your own, until you can use it properly." He added and she nodded. "You might burn yourself."

"Like a sunburn?"

"Yes only sometimes it can be worse than that." He replied and she nodded. She finished following the recipe and watched as he put the loaves into the oven. "I like a bit of tea with my bannock, everyone brews a pot a bit differently in our family though, I'll show you my way and I'm sure that you'll be shown other ways of doing it too." He said and filled the kettle to the brim. The kettle started to whistle a few minutes later and he took it off the stove, before adding water to another pot. "This makes the pot nice and hot." He explained, before looking around and finding the collection of various teas. "Now pick whatever one you like, though mint or chamomile might go well with this." He said and she remembered the creamy teas that Tarrant would bring up to her, she took both packets down and smelled each, of the teas, before placing them back in the cabinet, deciding on which one she liked the smell of best. "Rose chamomile, mint and lavender, it smells nice enough, but I've never tried this blend before." He said and shrugged, before putting the tea leaves into a strainer and sticking them in the pot. "Now we wait, do you want to sew some more while it steeps, should only be a few minutes until it's done." He said and she nodded.

"I'd like to work on my dress." She said and he smiled at her.

"I have a bit of a Broadbeam hat I'm working on, if you would like to show me the style you're using, I'd be glad to teach you how to make a hat with a proper brim."

"That sounds great, thank you." Terra said and smiled at him, they walked to the tea table together and sat next to one another, as Terra showed him her design.

"This is very pretty, how did you think to use these colors, here and here?"

"It was what looked best, I tried it a few different ways, before deciding on a blue outer coat and a yellow inner coat, but making it be worn as one piece, with a yellow ribbon."

"And what are these markings?" He asked.

"Where I'll put the embroidery, its a short hand my sister taught me, B for bird, H for horsefly, D from dragonfly, BF for butterfly and BAF for bread and butterfly." She explained and he nodded.

"So you're going to be basing your embroidery on things that fly?"

"Yes, I thought it would go well with the yellow and blue, I'm going to have it in the blue and make several sun patterns for the yellow." She said excitedly.

"I would like to see it, when you finish." He said and she grinned.

"I'll be glad to show it to you, if you are still here."

"I can send a message back and start helping with the preparations."

"So Father agreed to a clan meeting?" She asked and he nodded.

"Well he does have five sons and daughters of marriageable age and well its not as though you were going to live together forever."

"We aren't?" Terra frowned at the thought. "They never said anything about that."

"Of course they wouldn't, anyway it's not something to worry about until both desire to make a match. Considering the circumstances involved I doubt that anyone would wish for your brothers or sisters to leave Witzend at once at any rate." He assured her and she nodded. "Still you said you wanted to see the world, that might mean leaving home and traveling without some of your family." He said.

"I can't really imagine being without them."

"I couldn't imagine having to share such a small space as you did with my brothers and sisters."

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"Two brothers and three sisters, some like big families, while others prefer to only have a bairn or two, you have plenty of time to decide such things." He said and she nodded, she grinned as she heard a clattering down the stairs and Tatianna and Tristan stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"You made bannocks are they done yet?" Tatianna asked eagerly and Horatio smiled.

"We're just letting them cool now, have a seat, I was just showing your sister how to brew a pot of tea, and Tarrant is sleeping in the garden." He added and Tristan frowned.

"You look familiar." He said and Horatio grinned.

"I should think so, considering that we were in nappies together, its good to see you again Stany." He said and Tristan laughed.

"Ratie!" He said and threw his arms around Horatio.

"At least my childish names were better, Ratie really?" Terra teased and all three laughed.

"So Horatio has been putting you to work in the kitchens?"

"She's got a knack for it." Horatio said with a grin.

"Well I can't properly boil water, let alone make bannocks, Father and Torran are equally hopeless, hopefully Tarrant has gotten somewhat better with time." She added and the older two laughed again. "I suppose we should wake him, so he can join us."

"Leave him be Tatie, our first proper meal together should be with Mother, Father and Torran too." Tristan said.

"How's Tory doing?" Terra asked.

"He wasn't feeling up to going downstairs, so I said I'd bring him a slice." Tristan said. "After we eat, I'm going back to bed, though it feels good to walk around a bit."

"It really does, what of you sister?"

"I might do a bit of sewing on the couch first, I don't have your energy." Tatianna said.

"Thank the ancestors for that." Torran said.

"Oh is she a wild one?" Horatio asked.

"She and Tarrant are more of a pair than any of us, she's fond of playing tricks and all she had to work with was sand." He said and laughed. "More times then I could count when I was little, I'd wake up covered from head to toe in it, with only my nose uncovered, so I could breath."

"Fixed his snoring though, for which we were thankful."

"Hey Tristan and Father snore just as badly as I did!"

"You were worse brother."

"Was not!" He returned.

"Just as I remembered, how did you survive little earth girl?" Horatio asked and Terra laughed.

"I'd dig a tunnel, so I wouldn't hear them." She replied. "Got quite good at tunneling in sand." She chuckled, as her siblings continued to argue. There was a knock at the door and Terra bounded up, opening and grinning at Thackery who was holding a pot of soup.

"Thacky!" She said and grinned, he smiled back and then his nose twitched.

"Are those bannocks I smell and TEA?" He asked excitedly and she grinned.

"Come in, Ristan and Tatie are up and the tea is almost done brewing." She said and smiled. "I'll just serve out the soup and carry it upstairs, then we can start in on our lunch."

"I'll help you with the soup." Horatio offered and she grinned.

"Thanks." She said brightly, serving up two portions of soup and covering the rest, before cutting two pieces of the bannock and pouring the tea.

"Torran likes his tea with a sugar cube and with no milk." Tatie said and Terra nodded, she stirred a single sugar cube into the cup and took the plates, as Horatio took the mug and bowl full of soup. She walked careful of the tea to the room that Torran and Tristan shared. When she got there Tristan was sitting up and fiddling with a stray thread on his shirt.

"Thanks T, this looks great."

"I helped make it." She said proudly and he smiled.

"Well its a lot better than the first thing I helped cook."

"She has a knack for it." Horatio repeated and Terra felt her cheeks redden.

"Well I'm going to see Mather and Faither now." She said and he nodded, she walked into their room next and gently shook both their shoulders.

"Hello Terra, you've come with the soup, that's a good girl." Her father said and she smiled, seeing that some of the color had returned to his cheeks.

"Horatio helped me carry it up and we made bannocks together, I love cooking father." She said. "I took some of Tarrant's old scrap and I'm going to make my first dress from it." She said and he smiled.

"Are you now, its certain to be a very fine dress." He said and she grinned.

"I can show you the pattern if you like."

"I want to see it when its finished, a Terra Hightopp original." He said and she beamed.

"Love you father, do you need help?" She asked.

"I think I can manage a mug."

"Alright I'll transfer it from the bowl." Terra said and her mother smiled.

"I'll take the bowl dear." She said and Terra nodded, handing both to her parents and made sure that they could handle it. "You seem to have it well in hand, remember the bells Tarrant told us about, if you need anything, Thackery is downstairs and should be able to hear it." She said and they both nodded.

"Have a good time dear." Her mother said and she smiled.

"I will, love you both." She said and practically ran down the stairs. Her clattering on the stairs was apparently loud enough to rouse Tarrant who looked around him and the tree for a moment in confusion before remembering. He grinned at her, before he waved and got to his feet.

"Were you meaning to make that much noise?" He asked and she giggled.

"Sorry Terry, I'm used to sand, not stairs." She said and he smiled.

"Its quite alright, are those bannocks I smell?"

"Broadbeam Bannocks." Horatio said and grinned. "I thought little miss Terra might like a lesson in cooking, she surprised me with how well she did."

"Yes well you know our family, either the food is wonderful..."

"Or its terrible, at least Thackery can cook." He said and Tarrant grinned.

"I can cook some things that are almost editable, if you squint real hard, they don't look like they are moving." He said and all three laughed. Tarrant stopped when he saw Tristan and Tatianna at the table, before taking his own seat.

"Sit next to me." Tarrant asked and she smiled, sitting next to Tarrant, as he settled between her and Tatianna.

"Your next lesson will be cutting things, but mind the pointy end."

"I can cut fabric with knives already, is chopping much different?"

"Not really, do you want to help me get started on dinner?" Horatio asked and Terra grinned, as the oven timer went off. "Now watch how I do it first, alright Terra?" Horatio asked and Terra nodded, watching as he took the lemon cakes they had made from the oven with a mitt. "Now you put them on a cutting board and tap gently, if you greased the pan right, they should fall right out onto the cutting board." He explained and Terra watched as he did precisely that, before creating some icing. "I didn't notice much in the garden when I was out there."

"Maither and Torran always had the green thumb, I tried at first, but nothing but the berries and some flowers grew." Tarrant said.

"Well then I suppose we'll have to make do with what's in the pantry, Lemon cake is best cold, so we will have it with supper, unless you might like to go to the market with me?" Horatio asked.

"I'll be going as well, if you want to Terra? Are you feeling up to it?"

"I want to see a market." Terra said and received smiles in response. She walked with Horatio down a dirt road, as Tarrant first raced ahead and then skipped backwards as he waited for them.

"You are taking your time." Tarrant said and

"I never knew there were so many people in the world." Terra said and looked around her at the various houses in interest.

"Well what stories were you told then?" Tarrant asked and Terra frowned.

"I never imagined this, I thought they would look like us." Terra said and Tarrant laughed.

"There are many different people and animals in Wonderland Terra, of course not all of them are hoddergjobs like we are."

"Tatie told me about the hoddergjobs, but she never said we were them."

"Well tis not a pleasant tale, our people are no longer slaves to the whims of others, but we still value things made by the hand above all else. During clan meets, people gather from all around to trade their goods and services." He explained. "We also socialize and try to find wives and husbands during the meetings of the clans. We all have to have some task and be good at it, or we go truly insane, not just a bit batty like you've seen your family turn sometimes, the madness takes hold of us and there's no going back." He said and she frowned, as he took out the recipe book. "How about chicken casserole?" He asked Tarrant who eagerly agreed. "Split the cost?"

"Of course." Tarrant said and smiled.

"What price?" Terra asked.

"Oh we barter our services for food, or if someone places an order with us, we take some of their goods for services rendered. Sometimes we also accept coin, it all depends upon the situation and people involved. We are all for fair and open trade." He said. "Though you don't want to trick one of us, for we're great mischief makers as well." He said and Terra grinned. She stopped in front of a stall selling belts with knife holders that had a loop on the back that held them to the belt, she grinned an idea forming in her head, before moving on. She paused again when a fabric seller caught her eye.

"Is it alright if I touch?" She asked hesitantly and the old woman smiled at her.

"Go ahead dear, your brother Tarrant loves touching my wares, so which one are you Torran or Tristan?"

"Neither madam, I'm their cousin Horatio." Horatio replied and doffed his cap at her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, thank you for supplying Tarrant with cloth all these years."

"I should think he's been the one supplying me, when a Hightopp uses your stall it becomes known, though he still pays me in hats for my family."

"I have enough fabric for now, but my little sister has the same love for fabric, would you like to start your own collection Terra?" He asked and Terra nodded.

"I do good embroidery, everyone in my family says so, though I have little experience with making clothes or hats." She said and the older woman smiled at her.

"Well then I have just the thing, if you embroider five shirts, I'll give you any two bolts of cloth, does that sound fair?" She asked and Terra hesitated looking to Tarrant.

"Its your deal, you should learn how to make them yourself, but don't take what's first offered." He advised and she nodded.

"I'll do the five shirts, but I get to split the bolts in half."

"Deal." The store clerk said.

"Would you like anything in particular?"

"My grandchildren are fond of the dander and doiler patterns, your sister used to embroider them for us sometimes."

"I can do those and you will be wanting these on four of the shirts and what of the fifth?"

"Do what you want with that design." She said and Terra grinned. "It can wait until after the meet, I understand how you'll be wanting to make things in preparation."

"Thank you I promise to pay you in full." Terra said and the old woman smiled.

"I know sweetheart, I trust that you will, now what can I get for you?" She asked and Terra hesitated a moment, before deciding on some sturdy cloth in purple and black, as well as some fine green and blue silk. "I didn't know such fabrics could be combined together."

"I don't mean them to be." Terra said and took the cloth from the woman. "Does anyone sell notebooks?"

"There's a notebook seller just down the way." Tarrant said and Terra grinned, as they walked together to a stall filled with notebooks.

"Do you trade?" Terra asked and the young man at the table smiled at her.

"Of course, what are you offering?"

"My skills at embroidery, I'll embroider anything you like six times, in exchange for six notebooks."

"A fair bargain, you will want to finish these after the clan meet?" He asked and Terra nodded.

"Yes, I'd prefer that."

"Alright then, I want you to embroider six pieces of leather, they will later become notebooks, so mind the various marks, as for the pattern, I leave that to you." He said and she smiled.

"Should I title them or leave them blank?" She asked.

"Blank ones sell better, most people don't like being told what to do with their notebooks." He said and she nodded, she was given six pieces of soft leather already marked off and chose a set of six notebooks. "If you rather embroider yours as you do mine, that is fine, I can give you the leather and bind it for you later."

"The different colors should work fine, thank you." She said and went to a seller of pens next. "Good sir would you like a trade?"

"I would indeed, how about you can take three pens and three pots of ink, in exchange for three embroidered handkerchiefs." He said and she smiled.

"I agree to this bargain, I want to prepare something in time for the clan meeting however. Are there any particular colors you want."

"Of course, your time should be spent with your craft and family now, I'm very glad to see you again young Hightopp. As for the colors it doesn't matter that much to me." He said and she smiled at him, before they went around to the various stalls and bought what they needed for dinner.

They then walked back to the house and Terra settled herself at the table a moment, in order to compose what she owed and to who she owed it, as her father had taught her. She had thought it a game her family played to pass the time, borrowing favors and such, but now she realized it was yet another way they had prepared her for the outside world

She set the ink to drying and went into the kitchen washing her hands at the sink. She helped Horatio prepare the dinner, before settling in with her sewing project, as it cooked. "I used some of your scrap, I know I should have asked, but I didn't think you would mind."

"And I don't at all, consider it and what you use to make your clan clothes a gift."

"Thank you Tarrant." She said.

"Of course." He said and she returned to the sewing, she had finished the dress itself more or less by the time dinner was ready.

"Its very pretty." Tarrant said.

"Thanks I'm about half way finished with it, I forgot to get my own thread, and do you mind if I use yours and your needles?"

"Not at all dear." Tarrant said and smiled at her, before he kissed her cheek, she blushed and looked down, Tarrant was her brother, she knew it in her heart, but she didn't know him at all. Next his hand came down and he ruffled her hair. "Ye have our Maither's hair, always loved Maither's hair, wish I had it. Its long and flowing and red, the perfect color for all shades of green, then the green matches the eyes, Maither's eyes are shadowed, they shouldn't be shadowed, they should be pink or blue, or even purple."

"Terry, you're going all bahlorium!" Terra said and Tarrant shook himself.

"Sorry T, forgot myself for a minute."

"Well as long as you find yourself again, its fine. Everyone looses themselves sometimes, without a little madness life would be tame." Terra said and Tarrant laughed.

"How did you come up with that, with Father?"

"Father demands order because order helps protect us from the madness, thinking orderly thoughts..."

"Allows for ordinary thinking, but I never believed that, my mind has never worked like that."

"Neither has mine, but most times I prefer a mix of order and chaos. If I go too mad, I have no idea of what I'm saying, as I say it and I don't like that feeling." Tatianna interjected. "I suppose we all respond differently to our nature, Terra. How you want to respond to the madness within you, is up to you." Tatianna said from the couch and Terra grinned at her in response.

"How are you feeling Tatie?" Terra asked. "I thought you were asleep."

"I rested my eyes."

"Aye you rested your eyes and watered your chin, as making a wonderful birdfeeder for any little creature that happened to pass by." Tarrant said and Tatianna glared at him.

"Really Tarrant, of the two of us, I think you would make the better birdfeeder." Tatianna said and Tarrant laughed.

"True, but at least I don't blather on about buttons."

"You prefer to talk about buttering your biscuits, instead of your toes, or something similar to that, all honesty it was this morning." Terra said and grinned as everyone laughed.

"She likes to talk of what people say in their sleep, saving it for the best time to tease them." Tatianna said.

"Actually its only you, Torran, Tarrant and Father that talk in their sleep. I've never heard Tristan say anything and you've never said anything about me."

"I've never heard you talk in your sleep, you more of mumble." Tatianna said and everyone laughed again.

"Can you go wake Tristan and Torran and ask if they want to come down, I already heated up the soup for your parents."

"Of course." Terra said and took the bowls from Horatio.

"I can do it."

"You should rest today Tarrant, you've done enough." Tatianna said and sat down at the table.

"I'll be back before you know it."

"It is impossible to come back before I knew it, as when you leave the room I'll know that you aren't there and I'll continue to know that, until you are here again." Tarrant said. "Alice said she would be right back, but she wasn't right back. She was gone for years and years and she may never come back again, I'll never ever see Alice again."

"Well she is coming back soon and this Alice most likely will be back too. Still you shouldn't count on someone from above to stay, as they always yearn for their own world, more than they desire to come back to ours. I don't want to see you hurt brother and seldom does good come when a match is made between above and below. Better to marry within the clan, than to dream about the impossible." Tatianna said.

"If I did not believe in the impossible, I would have never found you again. I would have lived out my days alone, because I will never again feel that pain, that loosing all of you brought me." Tarrant said. "You have no idea what it was like, to be alone, to have no kin to talk with. You have no idea how often I wished to discuss different styles I was thinking of making, or how many times I wished to have Terra on my shoulder once more. To be slapped on the back by Tristan, or to go about town singing shanties and silly songs with Torran. I said terrible things to father and I thought that I would never be able to apologize. You have no idea what its like to loose all your kin."

"I lost a brother, we didn't know if you had survived. We were mourning you as you were mourning us."

"You never said that you thought Tarrant dead." Terra said angrily. "Why did you lie to me?"

"What were we supposed to do, tell a frightened child, who had just watched people she knew go up in flames, that we thought that our brother might not have survived. Tell that same child that we had no hope of rescue, as most likely countless people thought us dead? Tell the child that we were trapped forever in a stagnant world, without food, or water, with nothing but one another to get through the days? Tell that child that she had to grow up and stop dreaming of rescue? Give that child the same hopelessness we all felt? The child who could bring a smile or a laugh to us? That could still have joy in such a terrible place? The child that stopped us from fading, that kept us sane, that grew up entirely too fast for anyone's liking? I woke one day and where my six year old sister had been, was a girl of ten. Then within two months you were the age you are now. We could not place any more burdens upon you, then you were already carrying." Tatianna said and Terra hugged her tightly to her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, thank you for protecting me from some of it." Terra said and looked a few years younger for a moment, as Tatianna gave her a hug.

"You are my little sister, of course I will protect and cherish you, until I fade away and join the ancestors, many years from now." Tatianna said and Tarrant came up and ruffled Terra's hair.

"And I will be there for you too, whenever you have need of me, you need only ask." He said and Terra threw herself into his arms, he smiled a crooked grin, as he hoisted her up and spun her around, laughing with her as they grew dizzy. He set her down and she grinned up at him, before racing up the stairs and going to her siblings rooms, she woke them and they were all feeling well enough to sit and eat at the table, she then realized that she had forgotten to bring along the soup, Tarrant came up with two mugs and she passed him on the stairs.

"I'll give these to mother and father and will be right down." He said and she nodded, as she made her way downstairs. She sat next to her sister, as her brother came down, one after the other. Tristan and Torran seemed more alert than they had previously and settled together at the table. Then came Tarrant, who sat beside them, leaving the seats to either end of the table open. Horatio came in with the food and set it down gently, as to not spill the potatoes over the sides.

"That looks very good, did you help again Terra?" Tristan asked and Terra nodded.

"I cut things and Horatio cooked them. I'm learning the names of vegetables and meats." She said as Horatio filled her plate. She smiled at him in return and waited for everyone to be served, before digging into the food. She frowned at the taste of a particular vegetable causing laughter to spring up around the table. "What is it?"

"I suppose you never outgrew your dislike for broccoli."

"If I wanted to eat small trees, then I would eat small trees." Terra said and continued to eat the rest of the meal. She finished and found herself getting very sleepy.

"Up ta bed with you." Tarrant said as she started to doze at the table.

"I want to try the lemon cake and be with all of you." Terra protested.

"Lass if you stay, you will be wearing the lemon cake and although I'm sure it will look lovely on you, it might be a bit hard to get out of your hair." Tarrant said and Terra yawned again. "We will save you a slice for tea tomorrow." He offered and she smiled at him.

"Alright Tarrant, good naughten." Terra said.

"Good Naughten." Everyone around the table echoed, as Terra turned and walked upstairs, going to her small bed and lying down on it, she was asleep within moments.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Alice stared out at the sea, she hadn't expected to miss Underland as much as she did. She loved being a captain with her mother, loved the call of the sea and the wind upon her face. Still she couldn't help but think of the man she had left behind, in favor of his kin. "Alice?" Her mother's voice caught her up and took her from her daydreams.

"Yes Mother." Alice replied and her mother smiled at her.

"You have the same look about you, that your father did. Are you dreaming of Underland Alice? Perhaps you are wishing to go back there."

"Mother?" Alice asked incredulous and her mother smiled at her.

"Margaret is my daughter, while we always said that you are your fathers. Your father was a traveler, as you already knew, but what you didn't know that he traveled here from another world. He was curious about the land above and wished to explore it more fully. Yet he hadn't intended to do the one thing that would keep him here, he hadn't intended to marry me. I thought if I could make a good match, if I could stop your wanderlust, I could perhaps keep you in this world. Now I know that you belong to theirs however. Just as much as your sister and I belong to this one. You will never be truly happy here, even if you meet with and fall in love with someone in this world. You belong with the fey, the people and places you visited in Wonderland call to you more, than I ever could."

"Fey?" Alice asked. "They aren't like little fairies though."

"No they aren't, but they are people that for one reason or another, decided that it was better to settle in the world below, than above. People with talents and skills that you could only imagine, skills that you could yet be trained in. I'm afraid that if you tried to stay, you would fade as your father did. That I wouldn't be enough for you, as I wasn't enough for your father."

"Father got sick, it wasn't your fault."

"Alice your father faded away, the life spans of the people above, aren't the same as those from below. He loved you all dearly, but he fell into a melancholy that even we could not pull it from. Before I realized what had happened to him, it was already too late to be of any help. Still he left me a way back to Wonderland, for our daughters, in case they ever had a need of it. He loved us more than his life, for he was stuck between worlds, as you are starting to be. Even if he were to return to Underland, he might have recovered for a time, before the melancholy would return, for his missing of us."

"Couldn't we have all gone to Underland?"

"No child, I could not make the trip, your sister shows no signs of being able to either. You should go back to Underland, where you belong and seek out the Kinstrade Clan, he changed his name to Kingsleigh so it would sound less out of the ordinary." She said and smiled at her sadly. "Take your father's old Kilt with you and go."

"Father was an Outlander?" Alice said in confusion.

"He was of the clans, but he lost the accent over time. Outlandish sounds a fair bit like Scottish, if you don't listen closely to it." Alice's Mother replied. "I packed it just in case you wished to return to Underland. You deserve to know your family and your heart's desire." She said and smiled sadly. "Your cousins, aunts and Uncles would welcome you with open arms, once they know of you." She added and Alice frowned.

"This all seems like a very strange dream." She said and her Mother laughed.

"Your father once said to me that all of life is a dream, we all agree to dream. Dream your own dreams Alice, follow your heart and find where you truly belong." Her mother kissed her on the cheeks then and pulled something from a seaman's bag she carried.

"But what about you, what about the house?"

"I will be fine, you might be a trader to your very core, but I'm a merchants daughter and I am almost as good at trade as you are and your father was." Alice's mother said. "I will be fine Alice, you need not worry over me, I will love you and miss you."

"I won't forget you Mother." Alice promised as she took the kilt from her mother. "I promise."

"Of course I won't forget you either Alice, but you belong amidst others of your kind and that the man who's name you mumble in your sleep." Alice's Mother said and Alice blushed. Alice stared at the blue purple and gold kilt her mother gave her, time had faded the colors but it was still very beautiful. She fastened it around her waist, belting it in place when it nearly fell off of her. She then unpacked a small cake that said Eat Me on it and a mirror, which she put a finger through and grinned. "I love you Mother."

"And I you, be good and listen to your family."

"I will." Alice promised. "Did Father have another name, before he came here?"

"Your father was always Ferdinand, though he shortened it to Fred upon occasion." Alice's Mother replied and Alice nodded, before taking a small piece off the cake and eating it slowly. She shrunk to a size that was small enough to fit through the mirror and she climbed into it and into Underland once more.

She stepped out into a traveler's sack, which was jouncing rather badly. "I told you to be careful with my things Jerold! The Clan Meet won't start until everyone has arrived."

"Sorry Greater Grander Maiter, its just to be my first Clan Meet."

"I know that boy, everyone from here to the Jarin lands knows that, but that mirror belonged to your Greater Uncle, before he traveled beyond our reach."

"Where did he go?"

"To the Aboveland." Alice replied and the bag was promptly dropped, jostling her and a vast variety of objects about. Alice cursed. "Belumphing ballywho, terrimongril!" Alice cursed the words coming easily to her lips, as her father had shouted, whenever he'd banged an arm or a leg on an offending piece of furniture.

"Who's there?" The child demanded. "Whoever you are, ye need a good tongue washin' that's what my Maither says, when I swear like that."

"I'm sorry, but perhaps you could let me out of this bag, gently if you please." Alice said and two hands opened the satchel, she smiled at a woman that seemed to be in her middle years, she looked a lot like Alice who stared at her, as she returned the grin with one of her own.

"And who might you be, wearing the clan colors and coming into my travel bag."

"Alice Kingsley, daughter of the late Ferdinand Kinstrade." Alice said.

"What's my son late to?" The older woman asked and Alice frowned.

"He's been dead for nearly ten years, so quite a bit. I am sorry." Alice said and her Grandmother nodded.

"I had hoped that he was able to be happy above, but I suppose that he was not."

"Mother said that he was trapped between worlds and didn't wish me to be." Alice stated and the woman smiled.

"Well I suppose that you shouldn't call me Grandmother, not until we know each other properly, for now how about you call me Francine?"

"Alright Francine, could I trouble you for the cake that makes you grow bigger?

"If I had any of it, I would give it you, but someone is bound to have some at the Clan Meet and we're nearly there, for now you can ride on my shoulder."

"Thank you." Alice said and was placed gently on her shoulder. Alice sat down quite comfortably and smiled at the boy who appeared to be about seven years old walking beside them. "Who are you?" Alice asked and the boy grinned up giving a gap toothed smile.

"Well met cousin, I am Jerold of clan Kinstrade." He said and Alice grinned.

"So are there more of our clan going to the meet, I should like to meet them. Mother only told me about how I was related to an Outland clan today, or else I think we would have met sooner."

"I am happy that we are meeting at all, five of your cousins could make it to this clan meet in time, we are traders by nature and so go far and wide upon our travels."

"I was a trader too, though I traded on a ship that would take me to different lands in the above. I met many interesting people and saw more of the world than many people in the above could ever hope to see." She said and smiled. "When I was very little, Father would set me on his lap and we would look at maps together, maps that I thought he made up, but now I'm not so sure."

"I could show you some maps and see if they look familiar to you. I'll also help you start out and learn the trade, as you aren't entirely an Hoddergjob, you might have less susceptibility to madness and you won't have the colored eyes until you've lived here a while."

"Where are we?" Alice asked.

"We are on our way to Witzend to attend a Clan Meet, some will be vying for the hand of the five sons and daughters of the Hightopp family. None of our kinsman are currently looking for a wife or husband, but everyone sends at least a few people to a meet, it's an great place to sell wares and meet with the other clans."

"It sounds great, I've always liked market gatherings."

"As only is right for a Kinstrade." Anise said and smiled at Alice. "You will fit right in with the rest of the clan."

"I'm looking forward to meeting them."

"Well if you would like to run ahead, we're the caravan right up there." She said and pointed.

"It would take a while for me to reach them, at my current size." Alice said and Anise laughed.

"So this isn't your first experience in Underland?"

"Nor my second, I believe it is my third and last." Alice replied with a grin. "You see this place keeps dragging me back, no matter how I might forget it, or try to fit with the society above, my mother pointed out that my heart lies here and I believe her to be correct."

"Well I believe that this world will be the better, for having you in it."

"Thank you Anise, goodness knows I always manage to get into some trouble or other. The worst was the Jabberwocky."

"You ran a fowl of that beast."

"More like killed it." Alice said. "I'm the White Queen's champion, I actually helped to free the Hightopps and it's a very good thing that time decided not to hold a grudge."

"A very good thing indeed, a bit temperamental is time." Anise said and Alice laughed.

"I found him to be rather kind, myself." Alice said and grinned as she heard a wild cacophonous noise that could be called music, only there were many songs playing at once and the ones that were being played together were as out of sync as the rest. "What's that?"

"The gathering, wait until the Swansongs arrive, they will make it a bit more in rhythm and not as wild as this." Anise said.

"I like it." Alice said.

"I do too, can I take Cousin Alice and run ahead?"

"Of course dear, Alice remember to hold onto his shirtsleeves." Anise said and Alice nodded, Anise set her hand upon the boy's shoulder and Alice walked down it, to lie on her stomach with her hands clutching onto the fabric. Then Jerold took off running with the speed and exuberance of young boys. Alice laughed and held on tight to his shirt, it was not unlike riding upon a bandersnatch, though different at the same time. She let out a whoop which Jerold echoed as they ran, passing by a slightly confused set of wagons, which were draped in the Kinstrade colors.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry my boy?"

"Cousin Alice needs a growth potion, so I'm helping her."

"Cousin Alice?" A young man asked and Alice grinned.

"Alice Kinstrade, daughter of Ferdinand Kinstrade."

"Is my brother coming to the clan meet?" A man asked eagerly.

"No Uncle, he has been dead these past nine years, but he left behind my sister and me, as well as our mother." Alice replied and the man nodded.

"Ferdinand could never settle to one route, but to be torn between the family of your choice and the family of your blood is a hard thing."

"I know, I left behind my mother and sister to come here. Still the friends I have here are very dear to me as well."

"You have been here before?"

"I haven't seen more than the lands of the Red and White Queen." Alice replied.

"Ah so you have stayed around Mamorial then, well we don't have upelkuchen on us, but I'm certain that someone would be willing to make a trade for a vial, or just give you a few drops, so you aren't quite so tiny."

"I'm sure that the White Queen could help me, if there was no other choice, but the last time I was here Tarrant Hightopp had some, I'd like to check with him first, could you maybe help me find them. I would hate to be underfoot and wind up being stepped upon." Alice said and several people laughed.

"I'm your Uncle Fredric, to my left is your fourth cousin Kenneth and in the back is your cousin Jennifer."

"Jen's a baby." Jerold stated.

"She's three and a bit of a terror if she doesn't get a good kip in." Finnick said and smiled. "My wife is with the other wagon, along with our oldest son Jordan who is thirteen and making his first trade route this festival. Then finally there's your cousin Henry."

"Forgive me if I don't remember all your names."

"Of course." He said and smiled at her. "Now tell me of how you came here before, you must like it, if you decided to move from your homeland."

"I do indeed, I came here first when I was a bit older than Jerold, though I have fairly vague memories of that trip. Then I came again about four years back, my last trip back was six months ago."

"Then you wouldn't be The Alice, as the Hightopps were rescued less then a month ago."

"Time is a tricky fellow but it seems he's helped me for once. I suppose that time above and below flows differently." Alice said and her Uncle's eyes widened.

"So you are the champion of Mamorial?" He demanded and Alice nodded, blushing slightly. She didn't much like it when people made a big deal of her being the champion overmuch. "Well to think we're relations of the one who slew the Jabberwocky." He laughed and his eyes turned a bright purple and sparkled with his mirth. "I heard that you enchanted Tarrant Hightopp and he won't court another, despite his siblings and parents attempting to convince him otherwise. Half the girls at the Clan's meet will be jealous of you and the other half will think you mad, for wishing to marry one that goes round the bend as often as Tarrant Hightopp." He said and it was Alice's turn to have her mouth hang open. "Are you trying to catch bread and butterflies?"

"Tarrant never said he would be interested in a match." Alice protested.

"Well did you ask him?" Her Uncle demanded.

"Its the girls that ask here?" Alice demanded.

"Why of course its the girls, girls should make the first move where courting is concerned, as to not be overwhelmed by the boys, when their ardor is met."

"Its the other way round where I'm from." Alice said and frowned. "I thought Tarrant was only seeking to be my dear friend, when he did not ask the last time I was here."

"Oh well there are bound to be misunderstanding, you were raised differently after all. Those anglefish must of put all sorts of queer notions in your head."

"Anglefish?"

"Aye did I hear it wrong, my brother came back to tell us that he was staying above, that he'd met an anglefish girl that made his heart futterwacken most vigorously." He shrugged. "Love is a funny fellow, you never know where or when he will strike." He said and Alice frowned.

"So is there actually someone named love, as there is someone named time?"

"No it was a poetic turn of phrase, Fredric is fond of spewing out drivel he likes to call poetry, but it hardly makes a lick of sense to the rest of us. His wife enjoys it well enough however, elsewise she wouldn't have become his wife." Her cousin Kenneth said and she laughed.

"I would have worn her down eventually." Fredric said and winked at Alice, who smiled in return. "Well what are you waiting for Jerold, hop aboard." Fredric said and Jerold climbed onto the wagon, sitting on his father's lap, as Alice was transferred to Fredric's top hat. Soon it became too loud to hear anyone over the clamor, as Fredric directed the wagon into a open space, before getting off of the wagon. Alice stood on the brim of his hat looking out at the people. They had different skin colors and were in some cases even different species, but they all had the eyes that shown all the colors of a rainbow. Some had glitter to add to their eyelids, others wore makeup. The clothing was a vivid sea of colors and every few feet someone was playing a song or singing one. It looked all and all like quite the lively and disorganized gathering and Alice loved it at once.

She grinned as she saw Tarrant, talking with his sister, who seemed to be standing behind him, as he fended of would be suitors or some such. The other two brothers that she remembered stood beside their other sister, though there were many women mixed in with the men, apparently everyone wanted a chance to meet with the reunited Hightopp family and Alice couldn't help the wide smile, as they walked towards them.

Her Uncle held out his hand and she walked down it to stand upon his palm as they grew closer to the Hightopps. She grinned and waved at Tarrant who stared at her open mouthed. "Alice?" He muttered and his eyes changed colors rapidly.

"Tarrant its alright, I'm here." Alice said. "You aren't seeing things, this is my Uncle Fredric was it?"

"It was indeed, may I present Alice Kinstrade of Angleland." He said.

"England cousin, and its English, not Anglefish." Alice said and smiled. "Do you have some of that growing cake Hatter?" She asked and stared as Tarrant's eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted. "Tarrant!" Alice cried and hurried over to him, as her kinsman set her down. "Are you alright Tarrant?" She asked.

"Of course he isn't alright you foolish girl, you had better not leave again!" Tarrant's sister said and Alice glared at her.

"I beg your pardon, but I believe that we have not met and who are you to call me a fool?" Alice demanded angrily.

"Well that's entirely your fault isn't it, you drive my brother half mad from loving you and then you go back to England or wherever you are from and just when he's starting to get over you, you return! Well not to stay because you never stay!"

"Well I had matters to attend to, my mother needed me to sign papers so that she wouldn't loose the house. Then she decided to enter into a trading company with me and I left her in the middle of the sea. I left my own mother behind, because I couldn't get this place, or the people in it out of my head. I didn't even know Tarrant was interested in me like that, until my Uncle told me, if I had known, I might have stayed."

"Would you have preferred him to hold up a sign, because short of that I don't know how you couldn't have noticed that he's gone for you."

"Its different where I'm from, the men ask the women, not the other way round and what hint? He never took my hand in his, he never asked to take me out somewhere with it being just the two of us. He never told me anything that would make me guess."

"His eyes would have showed you, if you had but looked." Tatianna said angrily.

"Oh like I would know what the color of his eyes mean, except when they turned black and he screamed at me the once for not believing in him, I think his point was quite made then." Alice said and Tatianna frowned.

"You mean you do not know the meaning of the colors, even a babe knows the colors."

"A babe here maybe, before I came here, I knew no one, whose eyes changed color."

"What of your father lass?" Her Uncle Fredric asked.

"His eyes were always black and shadowed, Mother said he couldn't break away from his melancholy and it was what killed him in the end."

"That sometimes happens, so he missed us then, poor Ferdinand." Her Uncle frowned. "Are you sure that you will be happy here lass, without your sister or Mother?"

"I do not know for certain, but I think I should be happier here, then I am in my homeland." She replied.

"You said you wanted upelkuchen?" Tatianna asked and Alice nodded. "Well we can't hold a conversation with you as big as a Dormouse." She then gave Alice a small amount of cake, which she fished from Tarrant's pockets. She ate the cake and grew to a normal size, before she turned to Tatianna.

"Could you get a cool washcloth?" Alice asked Tatianna.

"Why on earth would you want that?"

"Women faint often where I'm from, smelling salts, or cool water can be used to rouse them." Alice said.

"You are a phisicer?" Uncle Fredric asked.

"Not really, I know some things about how to treat illness, but not much overall."

"Would you like to learn?" Someone questioned and Alice smiled when she saw the White Queen.

"Hello your Majesty."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Mirana?" The Queen asked and Alice smiled in return.

"I'd love to learn, if you would be willing to teach me."

"Of course, I would be delighted to pass on what skills I have." The White Queen said and smiled. "As a Champion you should have many skills at your disposal."

"Thank you Mirana." Alice said and smiled at the Queen.

"As for Tarrant, I have just the thing." The White Queen said and pulled out a decanter. "This should change his unconscious state to that of a light sleep and you can wake him from there."

"Thank you Mirana." Alice said and the White Queen smiled.

"Just a drop under his nose should do the trick." The White Queen said and smiled softly. Alice did as the Queen told her to do and Tarrant mumbled something in his sleep.

"Tarrant?" Alice asked gently.

"Alice?" He muttered. "I dreamed that you came back, but you aren't coming back."

"Oh Tarrant I am back, back to stay, I couldn't get any of you out of my head and my Mother saw the longing in me to return. The same longing that killed my Father." Alice said and Tarrant opened his eyes and stared at her.

"If this is a dream, I do ne care." Tarrant said and before Alice knew it his lips were upon hers and she was having her first kiss stolen by Tarrant Hightopp. She felt herself melt oddly as the rest of the world melted away and all there was Tarrant. She returned the kiss with equal ardor.

"If in you must do that, do it where I cannae see." Tatianna stated and Alice blushed moving back from Tarrant and breaking the kiss, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed brightly.

"You are really here." Tarrant said and frowned. "I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, or I dreamed you up. I kissed you!" He said horrified and his eyes flashed many colors in quick succession. "I'm a blidgering buggering balanta, taking advantage of a woman, who is not mine to court."

"If you had but asked, perhaps she would be, but of course our customs in this are different as in anything else. I would be willing to explore the possibility of a relationship, if you would be." Alice said and Tarrant's eyes widened in shock, continuing to stare at Alice. "Oh Hatter, we're both fools aren't we? To think we almost ignored our feelings, do to a misunderstanding." Alice smiled at him. "Would you consent to courting me? To see if anything might develop between us."

"Yes Alice." Tarrant said and pinched himself. "Ow." He said. "Not a dream then."

"Not a dream Tarrant, courting must be different here than in above." She said and turned to her Uncle and Tarrant's sister. "How do we proceed?"

"However you like, it's your relationship after all, perhaps you could tell me what courting is." Tatianna said and Alice frowned.

"Do you mean that we will be alone together?" Alice asked. "Without chaperone? You don't court here?" She added and the others shook their heads.

"What is this courting

"What's a chaperone?" Tatianna asked.

"Someone that both families trust that ensures that nothing untoward happens before the marriage. The couple goes to places together, sometimes exchange gifts or other signs of their affection."

"So they have people spy on couples making sure that they don't do any balmorgal before the hand fasting? I donae mind the rest oh it, but ta be watched with ye, ta be spied upon. Still if it is what ye be wanting."

"Usually yes, but if it isn't a tradition here..."

"I would be glad to escort you." Her Uncle Fredric said and smiled. "In fact I'm looking forward to it niece, should give us a chance to better know you."

"We donae need an escort, I ken I can keep my ardor in check, without having you be watching us through the bushes."

"Usually the escort stays with the couple actually." Alice said and Tarrant looked shocked.

"This is private business, between two people. So you want to know for certain what you feel, before we marry?" Tarrant asked and Alice nodded. "Then we'll do a hand fasting, we'll act like husband and wife for a year, which should tell us if we want a long term relationship or not."

"I've never been with anyone before Tarrant, I'm not sure I'm ready."

"Then we will wait until we are, I don't think I could handle this courting business." Tarrant said and Alice nodded. "I will nae do nothing that ye donae ask for Alice." He promised and Alice nodded again.

"Alright so do you want to be hand fasted with me Tarrant?" Alice asked and Tarrant grinned.

"Aye lass I do." Tarrant said and they smiled at each other. "Why are ye wearing the Kinstrade colors?"

"Because I'm a Kinstrade, or rather my father was, seems like a love of adventure and other worlds runs in the family." Alice said and Tarrant stared at her shocked.

"But your eyes donae change color as ours do, ye donae have the look of a hoddergjob." He said and Alice shrugged.

"I'm half hoddergjob, and half of above." Alice said and he nodded.

"That may do it, if you did not know." He said and his eyes stopped changing colors.

"I just found out today, this is my Uncle Fredric, I never expected to find actually family living in Underland." Alice said and smiled brightly.

"Why don't you go explore the market Alice? The rest of the clan should be along and we need to discuss some things with the Hightopps."

"Shouldn't we be there too?"

"Nonsense, this is just a formality and its not right that your here for this." Uncle Fredric stated and Alice nodded. She smiled and hooked her arm in Tarrant's.

"The styles here are quite different from above." Alice said stopping by a stall that showed women's clothing in a variety of bright colors and shades. "Everything is much more vibrant here." She added and Tarrant appeared curious.

"How so, that blue dress you wore was lovely."

"Yes, but mostly people prefer more subdued shades where I am from and there seems to be no corsets at all, which is only to the good."

"What's a corset?"

"A horrible contraption that restricts airflow, but some believe it to make a woman's figure more appealing."

"I would never want ye to make it harder for you to breathe, what other horrible contraptions do they force you to wear?"

"Some like to wear hoop skirts, which are essentially metal cages, which make skirts go out in a bell shape. I always thought them to be terribly uncomfortable personally." Alice said and Tarrant nodded. "I actually prefer Asian dress, they are a lot more comfortable and very beautiful with all the bright colors. People where I'm from that its best to not draw too much attention to yourself."

"They sound thoroughly uninteresting." Tarrant said and Alice laughed.

"Indeed they are." Alice said and her eyes caught sight of a dress in the Kinstrade colors. It was very beautiful, but she had nothing to pay for anything with. She continued to walk through the market, pausing to examine something when it caught her eye. "Do you think I should take lessons in how to use a proper sword Tarrant?" Alice asked.

"If it something that you enjoy, I do not see why not and anyone would be glad to teach you. I never learned how to wield a blade, but you could have lessons with anyone of the Queen's guard." Tarrant said and Alice nodded, she continued to look through the sprawling markets, then she grinned when she heard a familiar song and raced off to where someone was playing the Walrus and the Carpenter. She joined in the song and Tarrant stared at her speechless as she sang. She had always prided herself on her singing and was enjoying the song, not noticing that the other singer had stopped in favor of letting her sing.

"Sing a song of above." Tarrant called out and Alice smiled.

"Well this always reminded me of you.

My love she was fair and my love she was kind too  
And many were the happy hours, between my love and me  
I never could refuse her, whatever she'd a mind to  
And now she's far away, far o'er the stormy sea.

 _All 'round my hat I will wear a_ green willow  
 _All 'round my hat for a twelve month and a day  
If anybody asks me the reason why I wear it  
It's all because my true love is far, far away._

Will my love be true and will my love be faithful?  
Or will she find another swain to court her where she's gone?  
The men will all run after her, so pretty and so graceful  
And leave me here lamenting, lamenting all alone.

 _All 'round my hat I will wear a green willow  
All 'round my hat for a twelve month and a day  
If anybody asks me the reason why I wear it  
It's all because my true love is far, far away._

My love she was fair, and my love she was kind  
And cruel the judge and jury that sentenced her away  
For thieving was a thing that she never was inclined to  
They sent my love across the sea ten thousand miles away." Alice finished and opened her eyes to see a crowd of people cheering.

"Sing another!" A little boy called and she smiled.

"Alright, could I borrow your fiddle sir?"

"Of course." He said and Alice smiled at him, before starting to sing a song.

"I heard my neighbor's rooster crow early in the day  
I heard his ax beyond the hill, now I'm bound away

She stopped to play the fiddle, drawing it into a jig and nodding as the others continued to play.

With a fiddle and a bow and a firelight's glow  
You can hear that lonesome sound  
Leave behind my troubled mind  
Go the whole world round

The grey squirrel leaves when the red squirrel comes  
Eagle nests alone  
A hundred miles from a wagon track I'll make my home

 _With a fiddle and a bow and a firelight's glow  
You can hear that lonesome sound  
Leave behind my troubled mind  
Go the whole world round _

I see'd the old men whittlin wood, seen the lights of town  
I'm goin deep in the Arkansas woods and settle down

With a fiddle and a bow and a firelight's glow  
You can hear that lonesome sound  
Leave behind my troubled mind  
Go the whole world round

Some folks love the city life some like a town  
I'm goin to the lonesome woods, listen to the lonesome sound

With a fiddle and a bow and a firelight's glow  
You can hear that lonesome sound  
Leave behind my troubled mind  
Go the whole world round

With a fiddle and a bow and a firelight's glow  
You can hear that lonesome sound  
Leave behind my troubled mind  
Go the whole world round. _"_

Alice grinned as she finished the song and handed the fiddle back. "Won't you sing another?" The young man she had borrowed the fiddle from asked. "Or play some more? The songs of above sound different than the ones we are used to." He said and Alice smiled.

"How bout a fiddle reel then boys?" She asked and they cheered, she grinned as she started up a complicated jig that her father had been fond of, she had learned it in time, she wanted to be able to play the reel that brought a smile to his face. She smiled at Tarrant as she played along with the other musicians, unable to stop the grin on her face. Her father's kilt was too loose for any sort of dancing, so she draped the fabric around her neck and started the stomping dance her father had taught her one day, soon everyone was joining in, clapping hands and stomping feet, as Alice danced through the crowd laughing. She finished the reel and started another and another, until it was starting to get dark and she was tired. She handed the fiddle back and was surprised when people gave her a collection of random trinkets and scarves, as well as other jewelry, watches and many other things besides. She was puzzled but thanked them politely, then turned to the other musicians. "This is yours by right, I just wanted a bit of fun and got carried away."

"Nonsense girl, keep it, it looks like you could use it. Words got round that you came here with scarcely more than the clothes on your back." One of the musicians stated and Alice blushed.

"I should have thought to bring some things, thank you, for the music and the afternoon." She said and they smiled.

"You can play with us anytime, your Grandfather was from our clan and we would be honored if you wore our colors."

"Really what's the clan name?" Alice asked curiously.

"Swansong, Fredric always had more talent than your father, but sometimes talent skips a generation or so." The man said and smiled at her. "I'm your Great Uncle Benson and these are my son Gregory, George and Gideon, that's my wife Gilda." he said pointing to each in turn. "If your looking for a place to bed down for the night, your welcome to come to our tent."

"Thank you." Alice said and smiled at him, before gathering the trinkets people had given her into the sack. She then walked around the market some more, before finding a shop that sold violins and examining the instruments.

"I'll give you any instrument in the shop, for the contents of your bag."

"Half the contents." Alice returned, examining each of the violins and playing two she liked the look of the best.

"Half? Be kind to an old woman." The woman said and Alice smiled.

"Half and you get to choose." Alice offered.

"Two thirds." The woman countered. "And you get to choose."

"Deal." Alice said and set the contents of the bag on the table, she dug through the various trinkets and counted them quickly in her head, before figuring what two thirds of the bag would be and piling the items she had little to no interest in, in the bigger pile. She kept some things of value, but some of the things she kept was for no other reason than she liked the look of them. The woman packed the violin she had chosen in a carrying case and Alice took the case in one hand and Tarrant's in the other, as they walked down the streets together. It was unfortunate that the purple red and green of the Swanson colors clashed horribly with her Kinstrade tartan. She found a small broach someone had given her in the colors and pinned it to her shirt.

"I made you some things, while you were gone, some of those might match your kilt better and I could hem it for you."

"It was my fathers, I don't want to hem it, but maybe you could come up with a better way of belting it then the one I'm using right now." Alice said and smiled at Tarrant. "Right now it keeps slipping."

"Soon you will be wearing my colors, so it won't matter over much. Of course you can still wear the colors of your clans, but as a broach or some such." He said and Alice nodded.

"Where do you want to go now?"

"I'm a mite famished." Tarrant admitted and smiled at her, as Alice realized that she was hungry as well. "You are definitely the child of a Kinstrade, don't know why I didn't see it before." Tarrant said and Alice grinned. They went to where Tarrant's and Alice's family had gathered and Alice was introduced to each of them.

"So how was your day?" Terra asked eagerly. "You have a violin now."

"I bought it, some people gave me some things to trade, after I played for an afternoon." Alice said and smiled. "I've always loved to play the violin."

"Well then if you're not too tired, I'd love to hear a song." Her Uncle Fredric said.

"I'd rather if you taught me one." Alice said.

"I know a really good one!" Jerold exclaimed excitedly and launched into a song about the clans, Alice followed half a step behind him, as someone pounded out the rhythm and she guessed at the notes. Soon she had it right and continued to sing and play with him.

"Do you know how to cook?" Someone asked and Alice nodded, putting her violin away and was given a cutting board and a knife.

"Any particular cut you want on these, or does it not matter."

"There are different cuts?" Tarrant's Mother asked. "By the way Alice I want you to call me Thora."

"Alright Thora, yes as a young woman, it was expected that I know the finer arts of womanhood, cooking, cleaning, housekeeping, comportment and music. Most of which I didn't have much of an interest in, though I was always fond of my music lessons." She said and chopped the vegetables she was given, adding them to the pot as she went. "Most of it was quite boring in all actuality and I drove my Governess to distraction while she tried to teach me." Alice laughed at the memory.

"It does sound rather tedious." Terra said and Alice nodded.

"Indeed, when I came of age, I promptly did the opposite of everything I was taught and started trading and acting pretty much like a lady should never act. Still I've never been particularly interested in what I am supposed to do and do instead what I prefer to do and wind up better off for it." Alice said.

"Well we teach our children the same, regardless of what might be between their legs. They have the right to choose their own way in life and all we can ever do is help them figure out who they wish to be." Her Grandmother said and smiled. "It sounds to some extent that you have decided."

"Well I have a lot to learn still, but I know some things at least." Alice said and smiled at everyone.

"We thought it best to have the ceremony tomorrow, if that is alright with both of you. We will both be putting up some goods to help you both get started."

"You don't need to do that." Both Tarrant and Alice protested.

"Faither, I will be fine I have enough to buy a small shop and we can live above it."

"You gave me back the deed to the shop and to the house, we will buy a store and you can live there for now, I won't put you out of a place to live and start a family." Tarrant's Father said and Tarrant nodded.

"As for you, you have that satchel and the clothes on your back, there is no way that you can build a proper trade outpost from that." Her Grandmother said.

"A trade outpost?" Alice asked confused.

"What else would you do, trading is in your blood after all." Her Grandmother said. "The last trading post closed down, shortly after the fire."

"I never thought of opening a trading post, I wouldn't even know how it would work."

"Its a place for people in town and those stopping through to exchange goods and services." Her Grandmother stated. "There aren't that many here, but they are very common in the Outlands."

"It sounds interesting." Alice said and smiled.

"Oh it should be and it should keep you on your toes, particularly after the bairns start arriving." Anise said and both Tarrant and Alice blushed.

"I actually hadn't considered children."

"Well they don't happen, until you both want them absolutely and both love one another, so that won't be a problem for a while, as you are just starting in your relationship." Anise said and Alice nodded.

"I'll make the bannocks." Terra interjected and grinned at both of them. "I'm glad that you are to be my Goodsister Alice, I look forward to getting to know you better."

"As do I." Alice frowned then. "I'll be right back." She said and went to a clothing stall, she bought a night shirt and underskirts and a shirt, using the rest of her trinkets and storing them in a sack. When she returned the Swansongs had joined them around the fire and she settled next to Tarrant, a little boy promptly crawled into her lap and she smiled down at the child. "Hello little one and who are you?" She asked.

"I Gryphon." He replied and Alice smiled.

"So are George and Gideon your older brothers?" She asked and he nodded.

"I's two, I's the baby."

"I don't see a baby here, I see a strapping young lad." She said and tickled his sides, he laughed and swatted at her hands, she continued until he told her to stop and she did. She had always loved children, but that didn't mean she was ready for her own. She jounced him up and down on her knee, smiling as he started to giggle.

"Finn come here." Gilda said and he ran into her arms and settled there, as they started to pass the stew and bannock around. Alice took her slice and ate it with her soup.

"Come on now, we're going to be making your dress." Terra said and Alice stood following the female Hightopps into the house. "How about blue and white?"

"That sounds nice." Alice said and smiled looking though the fabric, before settling on two bolts. "It should have some clan color in it, though."

"Maybe broaches and you could use your father's tartan as a sash if you wanted to?" Terra asked and Alice nodded.

"That sounds fine to me." Alice said and started to draw a pattern.

"You know how to design and make dresses?"

"I was never very good at it and I never enjoyed it all that much, but yes I know how to sew and make my own dresses." Alice said and they nodded, together they stitched the together the dress over multiple pots of tea, until it was finished. Alice folded her Father's tartan, until it was the length of a sash and pinned it in place with the pin in the Swanson colors. By the time they had finished the veil the sky was already lightening.

"I'm knackered." Terra said and yawned. "They won't get everything ready until midmorning, why don't we rest a bit until then."

"Good idea." Alice said and gently removed the dress, standing in her small clothes for a moment, before putting on her nightgown.

"You can sleep in our room, Terra and I can share a bed." Tatianna offered and Alice nodded.

"Wouldn't do for the bride to fall asleep at the ceremony after all." Alice joked and the three other women laughed. She walked with the girls to their room and practically threw herself upon the bed.


End file.
